The Corvallis Knights will defend their West Coast League championship against the Wenatchee AppleSox. The best-of-three championship series starts in Wenatchee, WA on Saturday, August 15. The second and third (if necessary) games will be played in Corvallis, OR on Monday, August 17 and Tuesday, August 18.
Reedy Berg
The AppleSox swept their semi-final series against the Kelowna Falcons, 2-0 and 4-3. Reedy Berg (Gonzaga) pitched a gem in the first game. He allowed only one hit in eight innings, didn’t walk any, and the one batter who reached base was out in a double play, so Berg faced the minimum 24 batters. Ryan Gorton (Oregon State) pitched a three-up, three-down ninth inning to get the save and complete the shutout. Josh Takayoshi (Pacific Lutheran) scored the winning run in the third inning by coming home on a double play. Brian Burke (Kansas Wesleyan) doubled in the winning run in the second game; Chad Wagner (Hawaii Pacific) got the win, and Paris Shewey (Washington State) got the save.
Peter Lavin
It took three games for the Knights to take out the Bend Elks in the other semi-final, 6-4, 0-1, and 4-1. Peter Lavin (San Francisco) pitched a complete-game shutout for the Elks in the second game. Kyle Kraus (U. of Portland) also went the distance for the Knights. The only run of the game came on an RBI double in the seventh inning by Garrat Queen (U. of Portland). In the third and deciding game, the Knights got all the runs they needed in the first inning when Richie Jimenez (Riverside CC) hit an RBI single, Adam Melker (Cal Poly San Luis Obiso) hit an RBI double, and Taylor Ard (Mount Hood CC) scored on a fielder’s choice. Ben Guidos (Washington), Liam Baron (Linn-Benton CC), and Drew Leary (San Diego State) combined to hold the Elks to four hits.
